Glossy Annual Report2006 07 web 75

RECOFTC
Annual Report
2006–2007
CONTENTS
Chair’s Report ................................................................................................................................................ 1
Director’s Report ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Strategic Developments .............................................................................................................................. 3
Objectives:
1. Analysis and Representation of Regional Issues ............................................................................. 6
2. Capacity Building ............................................................................................................................. 10
3. Demonstrating Best Practice .......................................................................................................... 14
The Year Ahead ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Reports and Publications ............................................................................................................................ 20
Board of Trustees ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Program Structure ....................................................................................................................................... 22
RECOFTC Staff ............................................................................................................................................. 23
Donors and Sponsors ................................................................................................................................. 24
Finance ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Acronyms ..................................................................................................................................................... 29

2

Message from
the Chair of Board
of Trustees
Regaining Center Stage
Over the last year or so, forests have moved back from the periphery to the center
of the global debate as scientists and policy-makers have realized that forest loss
and degradation is responsible for some 20% of global carbon dioxide emissions, an
amount comparable to the global transport sector.
This heightened focus on forests and climate change has enormous implications for
Asia’s forests and the people who depend on them. Emerging carbon markets
have the potential to redress some of the disjunct between the costs and benefits
of both forest exploitation and forest conservation that have inhibited effective
forest management for decades. Throughout the region and indeed the tropical
world, forests have continued to be degraded and lost because those who exploit
forests rarely pay the full costs of their exploitation and the costs of forest conservation
often differentially fall on the rural poor.

“Community forestry involves
the

governance
and
management of forest
resources by communities for
commercial and non–
commercial
purposes,
including
subsistence,
timber production, non–
timber forest products,
wildlife, conservation
of
biodiversity
and
environment, and social
and religious significance.
It also incorporates the
practices, art, science,
policies, institutions, and

processes necessary to
promote and support all
aspects of communitybased forest management.”

People living in and near forests must be active participants in any national or
international efforts to reduce emissions from forest loss and degradation. Many
forest-dependent people and communities have traditional ownership claims over
forest resources and many depend heavily on these forests for their subsistence and
livelihoods. Their rights and interests in these resources should therefore be respected
as matter of principle. Pragmatically, forest conservation and management efforts
will not be sustainable unless there are clear net benefits to the people living in and
near forest areas.
In this context, I believe that the work of the Regional Community Forest Training
Center (RECOFTC) is of greater importance now than any time in its 20 year history.
Governments of the region face enormous new challenges as they seek to develop
forest conservation and management regimes that simultaneously reduce emissions
from forest loss and degradation, contribute to national economic development,
and meet the needs and aspirations of forest–dependent people. The people who
live and work in communities in and near forests can be the most effective allies in
these efforts. However, this potential will only be realized with just and equitable

co–management systems that respect the rights of these people and allow them to
participate as full partners in both the decision making about forests and the practice
of forest conservation and management.
The development and continued improvement of equitable and just community
forest management systems is thus an urgent regional need and Asia is fortunate
that an institution such as RECOFTC exists in the region. RECOFTC is playing a key
role in synthesizing and disseminating knowledge about the principles and practice
of community forestry and its capacity building services have long been recognized
for their contribution to the region. I am confident that RECOFTC will continue to
develop as an action learning institution that will provide an even greater
contribution to the governments and people of the region as they work to develop
socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable forest management
systems that meet the growing challenges of the 21st Century.

Mr. David Cassells
Chair, Board of Trustees

3
1

Message
from the
Executive Director
The year 2006–2007 was special for us for three reasons. Firstly, we bade farewell to
the Board of Trustees outgoing Chairperson, Dr. Don Gilmour, and welcomed his
replacement Mr. David Cassells. Secondly, 2007 marked 20 years since RECOFTC
was established, and we observed that important anniversary by successfully
organizing a series of events. They included a national workshop on two decades
of community forestry in Thailand and the International Conference on Poverty
Reduction and Forests: Tenure, Market and Policy Reforms. Complementing those
events, a supplementary report highlighting major achievements over the past
two decades was published and circulated widely. Thirdly, the year proved to be
very productive in advancing RECOFTC’s goal of promoting community forestry in
the Asia–Pacific region and beyond; building partnerships with global, regional,
and national organizations; obtaining formal mandates for operation from national
governments; building relationships with donor agencies; and securing additional
funds.
Our three programs of regional analysis, capacity building, and country support,
were busier than ever in executing program plans and delivering quality products
and services to our clients. As well as international events in Bangkok, we carried

out more in–country capacity building activities with national partners during the
reporting period – a trend that is likely to continue in future years. The program staff
continued to project RECOFTC’s image as far more than just a training center.
Increasingly, our clients and partners view RECOFTC as an institution that serves as
a “hub” for community forestry knowledge and information. That includes
knowledge brokering and synthesizing, creating neutral platforms for a range of
stakeholders, analyzing and presenting issues for practitioners and policy-makers,
and importantly, building effective partnerships. Viewing our activities in those
terms captures much of what RECOFTC has been trying to do over the years and
indicates that our current strategy is viewed by our clients and partners to be both
appropriate and relevant.
RECOFTC’s financial situation continues to improve as its sources of income expand.
In December 2006, we signed a three–year contract (2007–2009) with Norway’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), thus increasing the number of agencies supporting
RECOFTC’s core program to three. We exceeded our target set for RECOFTCgenerated income (from its products and services), which contributed to the
steady increase in our financial reserves.
Of course, there were also challenges. The continual changes in global and regional
agendas, and donor shifts in position and focus remains a major obstacle for
RECOFTC. To respond effectively, we need to design and execute focused activities
that have significant impacts on the ground. Internally, we continue to face the

challenge of making our employment packages more competitive to attract
people with the required skill sets. Finally, while RECOFTC’s financial situation has
much improved in recent years, the goal of financial sustainability has yet to be
attained.
The next 12 months will also be a busy period for us. Being the fourth and final year
of the current program cycle, we need to ensure that all commitments are met
and, at the same time, arrange for a final program review and the development
of a new strategic plan.

Dr. Yam Malla
Executive Director

4
2

The 2006–2007 year marked two decades of RECOFTC involvement with community forestry issues in
the Asia–Pacific region. To commemorate this important milestone, we organized a number of
special events, which provided an excellent opportunity for everyone who has been involved with
the organization to acknowledge RECOFTC’s founders, reflect on our achievements, examine current
forestry issues, and consider our pursuits for the future.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS

STRATEGIC
DEVELOPMENTS

3

RECOFTC’s Strategic Plan 2004–2009:
The Final Stages
In December 2006, the Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
signed a three–year agreement as
RECOFTC’s new core donor. We
now have three core donors,
including the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation
(SDC) and the Swedish International
Development Cooperation Agency
(Sida). We greatly appreciate this

support and acknowledge how
critical it is to the continuation of
our work.

underway to deliver further training
for The Nature Conservancy’s
(TNC) Responsible Asia Forestry and
Trade (RAFT) project. With SNV
Netherlands Development
Organization, discussions have
begun to build upon the success
of our current partnership and
deliver capacity building services
into the 2007–2008 year and
beyond. In August 2007, RECOFTC
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the South
Asia Co-operative Environment
Programme (SACEP) and a joint
work plan is currently under

development. Planning for the
near future, RECOFTC has initiated
discussions with the United Nations
Environmental Programme (UNEP)
about potential joint activities in
the Asia–Pacific region.

As this report shows, RECOFTC
successfully juggled anniversary
events with 2006–2007 program
requirements, and the organization
remains well on course to fulfil key
objectives as we move toward the
final stages of our Strategic Plan.

2007–Celebrating
20 Years of
RECOFTC
In March, we hosted a reception
to formally acknowledge the

continuing, and much appreciated,
support from RECOFTC’s founding
organizations. Representatives from
the Royal Thai Government,
Kasetsart University (KU), the Food
and Agricultural Organization of
the United Nations (FAO), and the
Government of Switzerland joined
RECOFTC’s founder, Dr. Somsak
Sukwong, as honored guests. The
reception also provided the ideal
occasion to launch a scholarship
scheme for Kasetsart forestry
students working on dissertations
related to community forestry, as
well as a booklet and CD detailing
two decades of RECOFTC work.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS
4

In August, RECOFTC organized a
national workshop on Twenty Years
of Community Forestry in Thailand.
Each of the 400 participants who
attended received a media
packet showcasing the stories of
eight community sites with which
we work closely.
In September, RECOFTC co–
organized with the Rights and
Resources Institute (RRI) the
International Conference on

Poverty Reduction and Forests: Tenure,
Market and Policy Reforms. Three hundred
participants from 46 countries attended,
making it one of the largest conferences
ever organized by RECOFTC. Feedback on
the conference was overwhelmingly
positive and we again demonstrated our
competence to host such events. By raising
the profile of forest–poverty issues, we hope
the Conference will stimulate action at
country, regional, and international levels.
Progress is underway on a summary report
of the conference and its proceedings.

Regional Collaboration
Partnerships and collaborations are
essential for nearly every aspect of our work.
During the past year, we have worked to
strengthen existing partnerships and
develop new ones as we continue to
collaborate closely with stakeholders at all
levels.
Following from the success of the August
2007 conflict training course, plans are

RECOFTC actively led and
participated in many important
learning and information–sharing
initiatives over the last year.
Besides the aforementioned
Poverty Reduction and Forests
Conference, RECOFTC successfully
hosted the Second Regional
Community Forestry Forum in
partnership with FAO and SNV in
March 2007. Further collaboration
with FAO, SNV, and also the
International Tropical Timber
Organization (ITTO) led to another
international conference on
Managing Forests for Poverty
Reduction, which was held in
Vietnam in October 2006. In
addition, we hosted the first Asia
meeting of the Protected Areas,
Equity and Livelihoods (PAEL) Task
Force in June 2007. The PAEL is a
global initiative of two IUCN
(The World Conservation Union)
commissions, and following the
meeting RECOFTC became the
Asia focal point.
RECOFTC continued working with
the Rights and Resources Initiative
(RRI), and on the committees of
both the Civil Society Advisory
Group (CSAG), which provides
input to ITTO’s work, and with the
External Advisory Group (EAG) on
Forests, which influences the World
Bank’s forest program.
One of RECOFTC’s key roles is that

three Program Managers, and a
Finance, Administration, and Human
Resources Manager.

of a regional information hub which
involves documenting and sharing
lessons and best practices related to
community forestry and community–
based natural resource management
(CBNRM) in general. During the year,
often in collaboration with partners,
many publications were produced
including Forest Lives, which reported
on the lessons learned from hundreds
of projects under the Small Grants
Program for the Promotion of Tropical
Forests.

We have continued to enjoy diverse
representation on our BOT. David
Cassells, TNC’s Director of the Asia–
Pacific Forest Program and Chief of
Party of RAFT, took over from Dr.
Donald Gilmour as Chairperson.
Additionally, Dr. Damrong Sriparam,
Dean of Kasetsart University’s Forestry
Faculty, has joined the Board and in
the upcoming year, a new board
member from China will be
appointed.

In–Country
Collaboration

As the 2004–2008 Program Phase
approaches its final stages, RECOFTC
has been carrying out a number of
internal evaluation exercises whereby
each program assesses progress
against the milestones set in the
current Program Plans.

RECOFTC now has formal mandates
to operate in six countries, including
Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao
PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam. In
Cambodia, RECOFTC began
implementing the three–year World
Bank–administered
Capacity
Building for Sustainable Forest and
Land
Management
Project
(CBSFLMP). This has placed RECOFTC
in a strong position to support the
formal establishment of community
forestry in the country. In Indonesia,
RECOFTC facilitated a series of in–
country training programs under a
Ford Foundation–funded project,
and conducted a situational analysis
to identify capacity building gaps.
The Thailand Collaborative Country
Support Program (ThCCSP) continues
to be a major influence in promoting
community forestry in Thailand.
The P r o g r a m h a s b e e n b u s i l y
collaborating with a variety of
stakeholders to organize forums,
implement on–site projects, support
training activities, and conduct field–
based research.

Financial
Sustainability
During the year, RECOFTC continued
to make improvements to generate
more revenue and efficiently utilize
core funds. Though our core donors

have continued to provide our main
source of income, increased
contributions, especially from
capacity building services, as well
as from project grants and facility
use, have helped maintain diversity
in our funding sources.
Good financial management
ensured that expenditures for
RECOFTC activities stayed well within
budget, and enabled us to take on
a number of new initiatives. The
Reserve Fund and Endowment
Funds
have
been
further
strengthened during this period, and
financial liabilities from the previous
program phase settled. Overall,
RECOFTC is moving towards an
increasingly sound financial position.

RECOFTC
Governance and
Management
RECOFTC’s
governance
and
management is overseen by its
Board of Trustees (BOT) and
Executive Committee, the latter
consisting of an Executive Director,

During the year, we expanded
activities relating to communication,
marketing, and corporate fundraising,
and revamped the Information
Management and Communications
Unit (IMAC). Two external consultants
were engaged to analyze RECOFTC’s
impact in Cambodia, Thailand, and
Vietnam. We also completed
preparations for a final evaluation of
the current Program Phase, and three
independent consultants will begin
work on this in November 2007.

Strategic Plan
RECOFTC focuses on capacity
building, regional analysis and
representation, and demonstrating
best practice to meet strategic goals
as stipulated in the Strategic Plan
2004–2009.
The 2006–2007 year saw numerous
collaborative projects and activities,
which have put us well on track to
meet these goals.

STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENTS

In line with the Strategic Plan,
RECOFTC has continued to seek
formal mandates to operate in target
countries. During this reporting period,
we signed an MOU with the
International Forestry Cooperation
Center (IFCC) in Beijing, which
is part of China’s State Forestry
Administration. This MOU will open the
door for many potential activities in
China during the coming years.

5

Objective 1:

ANALYSIS AND REPRESENTATION OF REGIONAL ISSUES
6

ANALYSIS AND
REPRESENTATION
OF REGIONAL
ISSUES
RECOFTC analyzes and synthesizes key issues and experiences in community forestry and other CBNRM
sectors, and shares related lessons with practitioners to inform policy and develop new capacity
building products. These issues drive RECOFTC projects and partnerships in the Asia–Pacific region.

Analysis and Representation
Thematic Analysis

Representation Strategies

Country Profiles

RECOFTC’s analysis on regional issues
focuses on Rural Livelihoods and
Poverty Reduction, Forest
Governance, and Productive and
Sustainable Forest Management.
These themes cut across our projects
and initiatives. a

RECOFTC uses several strategies to
share information and represent our
stakeholders in the region. During
2006–2007, RECOFTC produced
numerous publications, engaged in
networks,
organized
and
participated in conferences and
workshops, and contributed to
regional fora.

Since 2005, RECOFTC has been
supporting the development of
country profiles on community forestry
in target countries in the Asia–Pacific
region. These profiles provide an
overview of the status of community–
based initiatives in forest management;
analyze lessons learned, challenges,
and opportunities; and provide
guidance for future work. During the
year, RECOFTC and NAFRI partnered
to develop the Lao PDR Community
Forestry Country Profile. This status
report highlights gaps in community–
based forest management by looking
at community contributions to forest
resource management and the
extent and modes of community
participation.

1. Rural Livelihoods and Poverty Reduction: Communities living in and
around forests often depend on forest resources to support their
livelihoods. Mechanisms to achieve poverty reduction through
sustainable, forest–related economic development include markets
and enterprises, integrated development planning, and analysis of
the impact of community forestry on livelihoods and the local
environment.
2. Forest Governance: Developing and implementing sound policies
and laws that support rights of access and use are fundamentals of
poverty–reducing community forestry. Efforts to improve forest
governance include advocating for effective and equitable forest
management by communities, promoting benefit sharing in subsistence
and commercial realms, and developing and testing pro–poor
institutions.
3. Productive and Sustainable Forest Management: Restoration of
degraded forests, where community forestry often occurs, can result in
significant forest cover improvements and reveal the potential for
applying community forestry approaches in high–value forest areas.
Focuses in productive and sustainable forest management include
conservation and sustainable management of high–value forest
resources, landscape approaches to sustainable forest management,
and management systems for timber and non–timber forest products.

CF E–News
The Community Forestry E–Newsletter
(CF E–News) continues to serve as an
effective means of communicating
important community forestry–
related
news,
publications,
announcements, and commentary.
In the last year, R E C O F T C
produced monthly publications on
time, and also identified ways to
improve the publication. Several ideas
will be trialed during 2007–2008.

Networks
Networks are of great importance to
RECOFTC as collaborating with like–
minded
organizations
greatly
increases the impact of our work.
During 2006–2007, we actively
participated in several important
networks including signing an MOU
with SACEP; presenting at the first
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) Social Forestry Network (ASFN)
and providing input to their rules,
procedures, and workplan; and
increasing dialogue with the ASEAN
Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF),
particularly on verification design
systems for timber trade.

ANALYSIS AND REPRESENTATION OF REGIONAL ISSUES

BOX 1: RECOFTC Themes

7

Initiatives and Projects
RECOFTC engages in several regional initiatives and projects that support
the three main themes, often through collaboration with other organizations.

Poverty Reduction

Benefit Sharing

Themes: Rural Livelihoods and
Poverty
Reduction,
Forest
Governance, Productive and
Sustainable Forest Management.

Themes: Rural Livelihoods and
Poverty Reduction, and Forest
Governance.

The role of forests in poverty reduction
has been a highly debated topic in
the forestry field, and RECOFTC is
exploring the potential of community
forestry to be pro–poor.

BOX 2: RECOFTC Impacts
The externally conducted Program
Impact Assessment with Focus on Country
Activities for Cambodia, Thailand and
Vietnam, 2004–2007 concluded the
following about RECOFTC:
• RECOFTC is viewed as a credible
regional organization with strong
training and useful information sources;

ANALYSIS AND REPRESENTATION OF REGIONAL ISSUES
8

• The organization is highly placed and
strategically positioned among
government officials, NGOs, and
communities as a producer of
knowledge and a neutral convener,
or “honest broker,” for community
forestry; and
• Its widely used materials and
publications valuably influence the
development of knowledge and
understanding about community
forestry.

During the year, RECOFTC focused on
improving
stakeholder
understanding of the linkages
between forests and poverty
reduction, and the potential for pro–
poor community forestry, through
conferences, workshops, a n d
p u b l i c a t i o n s . W e c o – organized
(with FAO, the Tropical Forest Trust
and the Vietnam Government) the
International
Conference
on
Managing Forests for Poverty
Reduction, and produced the
proceedings of this conference, A Cut
for the Poor. Further insight on this
topic was added through our work
on the 2020 Outlook paper, Forests,
Forestry and Poverty Alleviation,
which was commissioned by FAO for
the
Asia
Pacific
Forestry
Commission. In addition, the
International
Asia–Pacific
Conference on Poverty Reduction
and Forests also explored the role of
forests in reducing poverty.

Though natural resources are a vital
economic asset, the communities
who most directly depend on and
protect these resources rarely receive
an equitable share. Benefit flow and
sharing initiatives aim to ensure that
financial flows from natural resource–
use reach these communities and
are shared more equitably among
members.
RECOFTC has continued work on this
issue
during
the
year
and
collaborated with organizations such
as The Worldwide Fund for Nature
(WWF) and SNV to facilitate learning
initiatives and produce workshop
proceedings, reports, and papers,
such as A Fair Share? Experiences in
Benefit Sharing from Community–
Managed Resources in Asia. In March
2007, RECOFTC hosted the Second
Regional Community Forestry Forum
on the theme of benefit flow and
benefit sharing from community
forestry. The forum provided an
opportunity for d i a l o g u e a m o n g
s e n i o r government policymakers on
mechanisms for addressing benefit flow
and benefit sharing from community
forestry and community–based forest
management in Asia. Thirty–eight
representatives from 14 countries in
Asia, and e i g h t o b s e r v e r s f r o m
multilateral
and
b i –lateral
organizations, participated in the
two days of discussions. An overview
synthesis paper, Sharing the
Wealth, was p u b l i s h e d
b a s e d o n t he
forum discussions.

Themes: Rural Livelihoods and
Poverty Reduction, Forest
Governance, Productive and
Sustainable Forest Management
Threats to resources such as
deforestation and degradation have
been motivating the application
of market–based development
mechanisms. PES is an incentive–
based approach to resource
conservation that uses market
mechanisms to ensure environmental
service beneficiaries compensate the
providers of these services. Rural
communities living in or around forests
and other natural resource areas are
potential providers and could benefit
from PES arrangements.
During the last year, RECOFTC has
been exploring issues involving PES
and local communities, and has
been involved in a number of
initiatives. These include presenting
papers and co–organizing regional
and sub–regional workshops on the
potential risks and benefits of PES for
communities, producing a synthesis
report from these workshops, and
dedicating an edition of RECOFTC's
Insight: Notes from
the Field to PES.
Current work on this
topic includes the
development of a
policy brief.

Rights and
Resources Initiative
Themes: Rural Livelihoods
and Poverty Reduction,
Forest Governance, Productive and
Sustainable Forest Management
The Rights and Resources Initiative
(RRI) work involves rural poverty
reduction, improvement of forest
governance, conservation and
restoration of forest ecosystems, and
sustainable forest–based economic
growth. Given the parallel between
these goals and the RECOFTC
themes, our involvement in RRI as the
focal point for the Asia–Pacific region
is well suited.

During the year, RECOFTC did
substantial work with the Listening,
Learning, Sharing and Launching
Project for Asia (LLSL). The LLSL is
designed to further ground RRI
partners in the regions (Africa, Latin
America, and Asia–Pacific) and at
the national and local levels of key
countries.
Two
sub–regional
workshops drew out key issues on
land and forest tenure and related
policy reforms, and RECOFTC was
involved with ICRAF and the Forest
Peoples Programme (FPP) in
synthesizing the results of these
workshops in a paper titled Land,
Forest and People: Facing the
Challenge in South East Asia. We are
developing a proposal which intends
to build on this work and other RRI
activities in the Asia–Pacific region.
We also worked closely with the Rights
and Resources Group (RRG), which
is the secretariat of the RRI, to jointly
implement research projects in
Vietnam and Lao PDR.

institutions, policy decisions, and
practical systems, are in place. The
Forest Governance Learning Group
(FGLG) aims to improve forest
governance in Africa and Asia. To
achieve this goal, FGLG provides fora
for sharing approaches and
strategies for strengthening forest
governance reform.
RECOFTC’s collaboration with the
International Institute for Environment
and Development (IIED) in supporting
FGLG during the year included work
on projects in Vietnam, India,
Indonesia, and outside of the region;
and involvement in learning events,
workshops, and a mid–term review.
Following a national workshop held
in Vietnam that investigated
the poverty impacts of different
community forestry models, RECOFTC
has begun work on a synthesis report
and policy brief.

VERIFOR
BOX 3: Insight: Notes from
the Field
This past year, RECOFTC produced the
first two issues of Insight: Notes from the
Field, a publication dedicated to
sharing field–level cases and
lessons among practitioners
working to support community
forestry and community–based
natural
resource
management. The first issue
explored general community
forestry issues. The second
issue,
produced
in
collaboration
with
Rewarding Upland Poor for
Environmental Services
( R U P E S ) – W o r l d
Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)
Southeast Asia and Winrock
International India, and supported by
SNV, focused on PES.

Forest Governance Learning
Group

Theme: Forest Governance
Forestry
can
contribute
to
sustainability and poverty alleviation
only if good forest governance,
including
proper
leadership,

Theme: Forest Governance
The VERIFOR Project (www.verifor.org)
is an Overseas Development Institute
(ODI)–led research project which is
working with partner institutions in
tropical countries to ensure that
timber and forest products are legally
harvested. Its goal is to help producer
nations put in place credible
verifications systems that are
equitable and have a high level
of ownership with all relevant
stakeholders.
RECOFTC is the focal point for VERIFOR
in Asia, and this is a key project under
our forest governance analysis theme.
During the year, our work focused on
sharing information about verification
systems and collaborating with
representatives from ASEAN to provide
verification training to senior level
forestry officials in the region. VERIFOR
was well represented at several
important fora during the year
including the EU–China Conference
on Forest Law Enforcement and
Governance (FLEG) and the joint
FAO–ITTO–DENR (Department of
Environment and Natural Resources)
Workshop on Forest Law Compliance
in Southeast Asia.

ANALYSIS AND REPRESENTATION OF REGIONAL ISSUES

Payments for Environmental
Services (PES)

9

Objective 2:

CAPACITY
BUILDING
RECOFTC continues to deliver an array of activities and services to strengthen human capacities
and contribute to the development and implementation of community forestry and community–
based natural resource management. The trend away from international open–subscription courses
continued and RECOFTC successfully met this challenge by collaborating with partners and clients
to deliver 10 in–country training courses during 2006–2007. Overall, it was an extremely productive
year with 500 participants joining our training courses, study tours, and other learning events.
CAPACITY BUILDING
10

What is Capacity Building?
At RECOFTC, we define capacity
building as:
“Externally or internally initiated
processes designed to help individuals
and groups to appreciate and manage
their changing circumstances, and to
enhance their abilities to identify and
meet development challenges in a
sustainable manner.”
A 2005–2006 review by RECOFTC titled
Capacity Building for CBNRM in Asia:
A Regional Review, further explored
capacity building processes.
Observations included:
1. Capacity building is an integral part
of CBNRM;
2. Wide interpretations of its nature
make for difficulty in describing its
success; and
3. While capacity building at the
community level for rural development
objectives is essential, there must be
a parallel process of investing in
government agencies, responsible for
working with rural communities in
natural resource management.

CAPACITY BUILDING

A complete review is available from the
Capacity Building Services main page
on the RECOFTC website.

11

Current Topics
In–Demand
RECOFTC training courses and study
tours cover a range of topics such as
participatory action research, good
governance, and facilitation skills. The
most popular courses are Conflict
Management for Natural Resource
Management, Participatory Action
Research for Community Livelihood
Development, and Case Study
Writing.

Conflict Management for
Natural Resource
Management
Conflict is an inevitable aspect of
natural resource management and
forestry and natural resource
professionals need knowledge of the
principles, techniques, and skills to
successfully analyze and mediate
conflict. Our conflict management
course remains a key training
program in the region and during the
year courses were delivered in–
country in Bhutan, Indonesia,
Mongolia, and a two–week regional
training program was hosted at
RECOFTC.
The course was updated during
2006–2007 in collaboration with
FAO to increase the emphasis on
conflict mediation processes and
techniques. Participants now work
through a more systematic process of
conflict analysis that builds their skills
and knowledge in important conflict
analysis tools, enabling participants
to understand and apply the key
steps and techniques necessary to
develop an effective mediation
process.
We are committed to providing
innovative training approaches to
improve the outcomes and impacts
of our capacity building. As an
example, a six–month training and
mentoring program on conflict
management and mediation was
delivered in Indonesia, and led to a
case study writing process.

Participatory Action Research
for Community Livelihood
Development
CAPACITY BUILDING
12

Programs related to community
development have applied a
range of livelihood approaches
or methodologies to empower
communities and related key actors
to manage their own resources
properly. The Participatory Action
Research (PAR) for Community–
Based Livelihood Development is a

learning approach that incorporates
multiple
perspectives
among
stakeholders. The concept of PAR has
been applied in a wide range of
community development or CBNRM
projects so far. PAR has successfully
provided
opportunities
for
stakeholders to learn collaboratively
about their complex situation.
RECOFTC facilitated a customized
training course on Participatory
Action
Research
(PAR)
for
Community–Based
Livelihood
Development in as part of a Villager
Support project funded by JICA in
Vietnam. Participants appreciated
the applicability of the tools and
techniques introduced in this course
to their work.

Analytical Skills and Case
Study Writing
Despite extensive information
written
and
exchanged
on
community–based natural resource
management,
there
remains
relatively little analysis and
documentation of field–based
experiences by field practitioners.
RECOFTC’s case study writing
program provides an opportunity for
practitioners to draw out valuable
lessons that can contribute to the
development of CBNRM thinking
and inform field practice. During this
course, participants learn practical
tools and methods to sharpen their
critical thinking and writing skills.
Participants complete well written,
logical, and professional case studies
at the end of the training program.

In
2007,
several
important
collaborations took place. RECOFTC
worked with the Community Based
Natural Resource Management
Learning Institute in Cambodia to
initiate the process of translating
our facilitation skills manual into the
Khmer language. In Indonesia, we
collaborated with FAO and the
German Agency for Technical
Cooperation (GTZ)–Strengthening
Management Capacities Project
(SMCP) to host a five–phase conflict
management course and produce
materials in Bahasa Indonesia. In
Lao PDR, Village Focus International
(VFI) and RECOFTC began planning
for conflict management training in
the Lao language, and we partnered
with SNV to develop and deliver a
natural resource management
governance training program.
Our clients extend to numerous
countries in Asia and the Pacific, and
even as far away as Africa. During the
last year, these have included
Helvetas/SDC, the International
Development Research Centre
(IDRC), the Council of Renewable
Natural Resource Research in
Bhutan (CORRB), S N V , Japan
International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) in Vietnam and Ethiopia,
Intercooperation in Pakistan, an
SDC–funded project in Mongolia, and
a TNC-RAFT project operating in
six Asian countries.

Customized Trainings and
Study Tours

Training Partners and
Clients

In response to the continued trend
of reduced funding for international
training events, RECOFTC has
increasingly focused on designing
and delivering customized courses for
staff and partners of national–level
CBNRM projects. Our customized
courses are tailored to meet the
specific needs and contexts of our
clients and during 2006–2007 we
hosted 15 customized courses for over
200 participants. In collaboration
with our partners, training events were
held throughout the region, including
in Thailand, Vietnam, Bhutan, China,
Mongolia, and Indonesia.

RECOFTC places great value on
developing partnerships to enhance
knowledge development, ensure
efficiency, and to develop and
implement capacity building
activities for maximum positive
impact. We collaborate with our
partners to design, host, and
deliver trainings, to translate
materials, and to create learning
networks.

With the increase of in–country
trainings, RECOFTC has taken the
opportunity to deliver these in the
national language, which allows us
to reach many more people. Five of
the 10 customized trainings delivered
in 2006–2007 were conducted in
the national language including
in Vietnamese, Mandarin, and
Mongolian. We will continue to
explore opportunities to develop

This past year, in collaboration with
the Participatory Forest Management
Project, RECOFTC hosted a case
study writing course in Bhutan. The
overall process involved a series of
linked activities, including mentoring
support and writing workshops
focused on argument structure and
logical presentation. Participants
provided positive feedback on the
process and lessons learned.

Reduced donor funding for study
tours during 2006–2007 saw a decline
in demand. In total, we hosted six
customized study tours for over 80
participants from throughout the
region.

BOX 4: Training Impacts
Two impact assessments were conducted
in 2007 and both positively evaluated
RECOFTC trainings. The Program
Impact Assessment with Focus on
Country Activities for Cambodia,
Thailand and Vietnam, 2004 – 2007
was externally conducted and found
that:
•

One international open–subscription
course on Managing Conflict for
Natural Resource Management was
hosted in 2007. The 20 participants
came from nine countries with 16 of
them funded by TNC. The 10–day
course generated positive outcomes
with many participants developing
their own conflict management and
mediation initiatives upon returning
to their home country. A participant
commented:
“The skills and knowledge will help
many of my colleagues who work in
conflict situations in their own projects.
It also increases analytical and
thinking skills which are crucial for
officers on the ground.”

People trained by RECOFTC can
identify specific trainings that have
influenced their fieldwork approach
and method;

•

International Open
Subscription Trainings
and Study–Tours

The success of this training has led to
a planned expansion of the program
through TNC’s RAFT project, and will
be implemented during 2007–2008.

There is good evidence that people
who attended RECOFTC trainings
presented their learning to
colleagues either formally or
informally, serving as a means of
disseminating community forestry

In March 2007, the only open
subscription study tour of the year
was held for CARE–Bangladesh on
Income Generation and Enterprise
Development.

knowledge within the country;
•

Strong demand for in–country field
training indicates capacity–building
impact and indicates organization’s

Regional Learning
Initiatives

credibility;
•

Those interviewed note a behavior
and attitude change from trainings,
and working on community forestry,
recognizing the value of local
views and management, although
institutional issues often conflict with
this practice.

RECOFTC works closely with a variety
of national and international
organizations to design and facilitate
multi–stakeholder processes to
support the further development of
CBNRM.
Using modalities such
conferences
and
e–learning
platforms, regional experiences, ideas,
and knowledge are shared to feed
into an improved understanding of
CBNRM, and to generate effective
ways forward.

ALL in CBNRM

visits from the partner organizations.
RECOFTC is mentoring project
participants from Cambodia and Lao
PDR and is facilitating two of the 10
learning themes.

Asia Model Forest Strategic
Planning Process
RECOFTC hosted a strategic
planning process for Asia’s Model
Forests from September 2006 to
January 2007. National model forest
teams in China, Indonesia, India,
Philippines, and Thailand completed
a national–level situational analysis
of Model Forests, and the FAO
undertook a regional analysis.
The Asia Regional Model Forest
Strategic Plan resulted from this work,
though some issues require further
exploration. Finalization of the plan
is now the responsibility of the
International Model Forest Secretariat.

Participatory Management of
Forests and Protected Areas
RECOFTC and the Tanzania–based
MS Training Center for Development
Cooperation, with significant support
from WWF India’s Dr. Sejal Worah,
have prepared a trainer’s manual
on Participatory Management of
Forests and Protected Areas. As an
integration of training initiatives from
Southeast Asia and Africa, the
manual reflects situations and case
studies from both regions and is

RECOFTC continued its role as one
of six partner organizations in the
Adaptive Learning and Linkages
in CBNRM (ALL in CBNRM) program,
which progressed well throughout
the year. This initiative applies a
learning process which enhances
the capacities of natural resource
management researchers, practitioners,
and other CBNRM stakeholders
in
participatory
development
approaches. The process involves
eight learning groups from six countries
learning through an e–forum, face–
to–face discussions, and mentoring

expected to be finalized by the end
of January 2008.

CBNRMtrain
During the year, progress was made
to further establish our CBNRMtrain
website as the first step toward
developing a regional network of
CBNRM trainers and practitioners.
Various training resources, including
all RECOFTC manuals, are now
available for free download.

CAPACITY BUILDING

materials and deliver trainings in
national languages.

13

Objective 3:

DEMONSTRATING
BEST PRACTICE
DEMONSTRATING BEST PRACTICE
14

One of RECOFTC’s main roles is demonstrating improved community forestry practices in selected
countries in the Asia–Pacific region. To achieve this, RECOFTC determines the status and potential
for community forestry in target countries; builds relationships with key stakeholders; develops on–
the–ground field projects to pilot improved community forestry management; and identifies, analyzes,
and documents best practices to promote uptake of these lessons learned into national policy
processes.

Demonstrating Best Practice

DEMONSTRATING BEST PRACTICE

Though our charter provides the mandate to work in the Asia–Pacific region –
comprising some 47 countries – our strategy is to sustain focused engagement
through project activities in a core of countries. The 2006–2007 period was the
continuation of two multi–year projects in Thailand and Indonesia, and the start of
another in Cambodia. RECOFTC has MOUs with all three of these target countries.

15

Thailand

DEMONSTRATING BEST PRACTICE
16

RECOFTC has worked in Thailand for
20 years now – a period that has
seen significant progress in the
development of community forestry.
Since its inception in 2003, our
Thailand Collaborative Country
Support Program (ThCCSP) has had
an influential role by working
closely with local communities,
and by promoting and facilitating
collaboration between these
communities and the Government,
NGOs, and other forest stakeholders.
With its project phase scheduled to
end in December 2008, ThCCSP
increased its focus in 2006–2007 on
documenting and disseminating
best practices and lessons learned
over the last four and a half years.
While working toward this, existing
projects and partnerships continued,
and new initiatives and collaborations
were started.

to promote sustainable coastal
management for 10 countries
affected by the 2004 tsunami, and
involves governments, the UNDP,
NGOs, and civil society.

The training of stakeholders in
participatory processes and methods
is a key ingredient for the successful
implementation of community
forestry activities, and has always
been an important part of
ThCCSP work. In the last year, ThCCSP
implemented training activities in
collaboration with a number of new
partners. Community leaders, NGO
professionals, and government staff
were among the more than 330
participants involved. Two of the
largest training programs were for the
Department of National Parks’
Biodiversity Conservation Corridors
Initiative, and with the Community
Organizations Development Institute
(CODI) and Seub Foundation for 60
communities in Central Thailand on
community forest management
planning. Training for both these
initiatives will continue into 2008.

As mentioned, ThCCSP has increased
its focus on documenting and
disseminating lessons learned and
best practices. Through partnerships
with Chiangrai Rajabhat University
and
Inter–Mountain
People’s
Education and Culture in Thailand
Association (IMPECT), 12 case studies
on good practice of community
forest management of ethnic groups
in the North have been written and
will be published in early 2008.
Additionally, six ThCCSP community
profiles have been compiled in both
English and Thai. As the Thailand focal
point, ThCCSP worked under the
Biodiversity Research and Training
Program (BRT) conducting action
research to feed into the development of
a strategy framework for Collaborative
Biodiversity Management.

Networks and partnerships are vital
for ThCCSP to develop and
disseminate information supporting
the adoption of community forestry,
and to successfully initiate and
implement activities. During the year,
the ThCCSP manager was appointed
to the Thailand National Coordinating
Body for Mangroves for the Future
(MFF). The MFF initiative aims

ThCCSP
organized
and
co–
organized a number of important
symposia and meetings during the
year. The largest and most significant
of these was the 20th Anniversary
RECOFTC National Seminar on
Community Forest: Processing of
Learning on Participatory Natural
Resource Management in Thai
Society. Other important ThCCSP–
hosted events included a national
seminar on Barefoot Silvicultural
and a seminar on Flooding and
Landslides. Additionally, ThCCSP
hosted a multi–stakeholder CF Bill
roundtable discussion, and the
Community Forest Network Meetings.

Though the ThCCSP will conclude at
the end of 2008, RECOFTC intends to
build on the work of the program to
continue to have an active presence
in Thai community forestry.
A strategic plan to fully incorporate
the program into RECOFTC was
initiated in 2007 and will feed into the
overall strategic planning process in
early 2008.

BOX 5: RECOFTC in
Thailand
The externally conducted Program
Impact Assessment with Focus on Country
Activities for Cambodia, Thailand and
Vietnam, 2004–2007 found the following
about RECOFTC’s Thai Program:
• The program has been instrumental in
developing technical skills in
communities which have enabled
them to develop CF management
plans;
• Community leaders and practitioners
interviewed speak highly of the
support and skills which RECOFTC has
provided to them over the years; and
• RECOFTC’s Thai program is addressing
and influencing policy at multiple
levels, which has resulted in change at
the community level, has begun to
have success at the sub–district level,
and is now reinvigorating debate
around the CF Bill at the national level.

Cambodia

Indonesia

After two decades of immense
pressure on Cambodia’s forest
resources, donors
and
the
Forestry Administration are looking
at alternative mechanisms
(including community forestry) to
improve forestry management and
rehabilitation. Following the September
2006 signing of MOUs with the
Forestry Administration and Ministry
of Environment, and with over
10 years of capacity–building
experience in the country, RECOFTC
is well positioned to assist the scalingup of community forestry, especially
now that a supportive Prakas
(ministerial guideline for implementing
sub–decrees) is in place.

With extensive forest resources
and a general trend towards
decentralizati